NEW YORK, NY
OCTOBER 31,1999

Ladies and gentlemen:

It is a great privilege for me to speak before this brave and distinguished audience.

I have been a member of the United States Congress for almost 27 years, and have had my share of political battles. But I have never been engaged in a battle like the one you are fighting to free your homeland from Saddam Hussein's tyranny.

Most Americans can hardly imagine what you are up against. The ruthlessness of his regime can only be compared to Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Russia. America made great sacrifices to end those regimes, and we owe it to the people of Iraq to help you free your country as well.

As you meet here in New York to rededicate yourselves to the struggle against Saddam Hussein, I want to assure you that your efforts have the firm support of the United States Congress.

You probably know that we in the Congress have given our President and his Administration all the tools they need to help you press ahead with your struggle. And we continue to urge our Administration to do more with the tools we have provided.

In order for us to persuade our Administration to do more, you need to do your part.

This meeting must be a success.

You must emerge more united and more committed to removing Saddam than ever before.

You must agree on principles that will arouse the enthusiasm of all freedom-loving Iraqis.

You must elect a leadership that commands broad support within the opposition and within the international eonimunity.

You must spell out a program for freeing your country, and then you must commit yourselves to implementing it.

We in the Congress stand ready to support you. If, as a product of this meeting, you bring to us a credible plan for escalating the challenge to Saddam Hussein, we will do everything we can to help you carry it out.

If new tools are required, we will try to get them to you.

You do not need me to tell you that Saddam Hussein has been a disaster. He has been a disaster not only for the people of Iraq and for the people of the Middle East as a whole, but for the entire world.

After using weapons of mass destruction against his own people, he now threatens the peace of the world with his continuing efforts to develop such weapons.

The people of the world are indebted to you for having the courage to try to do something about this menace.

I commend you, I support you, and I urge you to persevere.

Thank you very much.